The decision to turn to art as a career was made later in her life. She
was born in Pretoria and matriculated with art as one of her main
subjects. She obtained a Teaching degree. During the eighties her career
included teaching art, freelance journalism, and public relations at
the Department of Water Affairs. It was only when she was living in a
remote, isolated area of Lesotho for a two-year period 1994-1996 that
the need to express her in art could no longer be suppressed.

In 1997 she enrolled for a BA Fine Arts degree at the University of
Pretoria with full time studies as a mature student. She completed it in
2000, majoring in painting. She was awarded an Academic prize in her
first year, Best art student in her second year and the Frieda van
Schalkwyk prize for Art Management in her third year.
She has lectured at University of Pretoria as Fine Art Education
lecturer, Design School Southern Africa, Central Tafe School of Art
& Design, Western Australia. She completed a post graduate Visual
Art diploma at Curtin University, Western Australia in 2007, and was
invited to be Graduate in Residence the following year.
She is married to Johan, a Civil engineer and has two daughters. Johan
has always been involved with construction work which meant that the
couple moved almost every two years to a new destination. They are
currently living in Western Australia, and are exploring new places.

Magda’s work deals with an aesthetic archaeology and memory excavation
of the artist visual recordings of places and specific sites she has
lived in or has visited. These visual imprints are the inspiration for
the artist expressive, imaginary, abstract paintings or 'mind sites'.
Her work process involves a personal journey with material and paint
reflecting a flux of excavation, adding and subtraction. She has
participated in various group exhibitions in Pretoria and Australia
since 1997.